Why is a tenderloin tender and a shank tough? The answer is in how much each muscle worked, and it decides how you cook it.
Key idea
Meat is muscle: bundles of long fibers (protein), held together by connective tissue (mainly collagen, plus tough elastin, called silverskin), with fat between and inside the muscles (marbling). Muscles that work hard (shoulder, leg, shank) have more connective tissue: cook them with slow, moist heat. Muscles that do little (loin, rib, tenderloin) are tender: cook them with quick, dry heat.
| Cut | Worked | Best method |
|---|---|---|
| Beef tenderloin | Little | Roast, grill, sauté |
| Beef chuck (shoulder) | Hard | Braise, stew |
| Pork loin | Little | Roast, grill |
| Pork shoulder | Hard | Braise, slow roast |
| Lamb rack | Little | Roast |
| Lamb shank | Hard | Braise |
Why it works
Slice across the grain. The grain is the direction the fibers run. Cutting across it leaves short fibers that are easy to chew; cutting along it leaves long, stringy ones. This matters most for cuts like flank and brisket.
Worked example: Method
You have beef short ribs, from a hard-working area full of connective tissue.
- Lots of collagen needs time and moist heat to become gelatin.
Answer: Braise them.
Common mistake
Grilling a tough cut fast and serving it in thick slices along the grain.
Practice at home
- Look closely at a flank steak and find the grain. Cook it, slice half with the grain and half across, and taste both.